The MIT Startup Exchange Lightning Talks listed below are part of the full agenda for the Smart Cities and Urban Development (Zoom).
Cities are evolving in response to global challenges such as climate change, public health, and economic competitiveness, all while harnessing the power of digital technologies. This webinar highlights groundbreaking research from MIT, featuring innovative tools and strategies designed to shape smarter and more sustainable urban environments.
Join us to explore pioneering projects from MIT’s Senseable City Lab, a multidisciplinary research group transforming urban living worldwide. From urban mobility and biodiversity to environmental quality and community well-being, the presentation showcases how digital technologies are reshaping cities at every scale—from individual buildings to entire metropolises.
Additionally, explore the Urban Network Analysis framework, a powerful tool for modeling the relationship between city design and sustainable mobility at the pedestrian scale. This approach equips planners and policymakers to measure pedestrian access, assess the impacts of land-use changes, and prioritize projects that advance sustainable urban mobility.
This webinar provides invaluable perspectives for anyone dedicated to creating smarter, more livable cities.
Manager of Partnerships & Engagement, MIT Startup Exchange
Tricia Dinkel comes to Corporate Relations with several years of experience in the innovation ecosystem and managing relationships with startups and corporates. Tricia previously worked as Director of Navigate (NECEC’s flagship innovation program) at the Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC) in Boston where she led all operations and partnership development for 400+ startups, 65+ innovation partners, and 200+ investors & corporates in North America and Europe. Prior to that role, Tricia held positions with increasing responsibility in program management at NECEC. Before that, her experience included Director of Data Analytics and Sustainability Reporting Manager at WegoWise Inc. in Boston, Associate Director at the Committee on Capital Markets Regulation in Cambridge, Senior Sustainability Coordinator at A Better City in Boston, and Assistant Director at The Green Alliance in Portsmouth, NH.
Tricia earned her B.A., in Environmental Studies/Natural Resource Policy at the University of Colorado, and her M.A., in Environmental Science Education at the University of New Hampshire. She served on the NECEC Diversity & Inclusion Committee and as a member of the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council), Massachusetts Chapter.
Co-Founder & CEO, Cytex
A two-time finalist for the prestigious EY Entrepreneur of the Year award, Andrew was the CEO and founder of omni-channel CPG company, Atlantic Coast Brands, and co-founded Mercanti Systems, the pioneer of the "buy online, pick up in-store" technology. Mercanti Systems’ innovative ecommerce platform transformed how consumers shop by streamlining the fulfillment of online orders through physical stores. In addition to his role at Cytex, Andrew is a Lecturer in Innovation & Technology at MIT's Operations Research Center.
Previously, Andrew served as an office in the US Army infantry and holds a BA in Economics from the University of Richmond, MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and MS in Information Security & Privacy from the University of Texas, Austin.
Founder & CEO, Civic Atlas
John Devine is the founder and CEO of Civic Atlas, an AI-powered platform that tracks real estate development and planning approvals. With over a decade of experience, he specializes in the intersection of GIS, real estate, and software development. John holds a Master’s in City Planning degree from MIT, where he was a research assistant at the MIT Civic Data Design Lab and the MIT UrbanRISK Lab. He also received a B.A. in Political and Social Thought from the University of Virginia as a Jefferson Scholar.
Co-Founder & CEO, Butlr
As co-founder and CEO of Butlr, an MIT Media Lab spinout, Honghao Deng is an award-winning innovator and computational designer that created the field of responsive, context-aware architecture.
Deng holds a Master of Design Technology with Distinction from Harvard GSD. He formerly was a researcher at City Science Group, MIT Media Lab. Under his leadership, Butlr is recognized as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. Honghao and Butlr have earned several awards in the field of smart city and building technology including: Architizer A+, Red Dot Best of Best, Core77, Gold and Platinum A' Design Award, iF Design, Fast Company Innovation by Design, Most Innovative Companies, and World-Changing Ideas and Forbes 30 Under 30. His research has been published on UIST, SIGGRAPH, CHI, TEI, DIS, and ISWC. His works have been covered by the Financial Times, TechCrunch, MIT Technology Review, Domus, Wallpaper, and the Times.
Disclaimer: MIT Startup Exchange can make introductions that ideally provide open ended discussions in order to share mutual interests and potentially create common ground that incite the parties to collaborate. MIT Startup Exchange introductions may eventually lead to mutual partnerships, but that is not in any way guaranteed by MIT, MIT Corporate Relations, MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) or MIT Startup Exchange, which takes no responsibility for these outcomes and no formal part in such discussions following our introduction. MIT Startup Exchange and its activities and events are not for purposes of soliciting investment or offering securities.